The bubble that burst erupted in Kanata but splattered parts of Orleans and Gatineau.

The bubble that had carried the Senators improbable playoff push through giant victories against the likes of the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning, exploded in what was supposed to be a slam dunk against the no-name New York Islanders, the team missing John Tavares and Kyle Okposo.

Isles 2, Senators 1.

And wasn’t that typical of this season, with this team, losing to an opponent it ought to beat while holding its own against the league titans.

While the Senators are not officially dead, they appear to be kept alive by a life support system, with a plug to be pulled in a few days time. Of all teams, of all times, to lose to the NYI on Wednesday night was the last thing the Senators could afford, in their quest to run the table on remaining games and hope it might be enough for the last wild card berth)

In theory, the Senators came into this one playing better defence, although it’s hard to tell with the naked eye. Along with other things, tightening up is a work in progress.

In their private talks, the Senators coaches and players are trying to learn a little something from a group of Canadian heroes.

If not now, then someday, the Senators would like to take a page out of Canada’s golden medal team from the recent Sochi Games, the team that didn’t beat opponents as much as suffocate them with a full-court defence.

Canada’s very best offensive players, from Sidney Crosby through to Ryan Getzlaf and Jeff Carter, checked their egos at the door while checking teams to death, in all three zones.

“Not comparing us, but you saw what Team Canada did at the Olympics, they got a 1-0 lead and you felt no team would be able to score on them,” says Senators centre Kyle Turris. “They were so good defensively. I’m not saying we’re like that, but that mentality, of playing strong defensively, and getting your offensive opportunities when they come, is a good way to play.”

It’s a great way to play, if a team can pull it off, particularly after a season of being a pretty soft touch for visiting offensive units. There were moments in Wednesday’s game against the Islanders in which the Senators looked like the anti-defensive force, taking penalties in the offensive zone (hello, Zack Smith) and giving up a breakaway to Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck while Ottawa was on a power play.

That the Senators went to the first intermission down 1-0 was a slight disservice considering how many early chances they missed, including a wide open net (hello, Mark Stone).

But not a huge disservice, considering they did give up 14 Islanders shots, with some grade-A chances sprinkled among them.

Period two tightened up considerably, as the Senators held the slight shot advantage, 7-6, although they did give up the requisite breakaway to Clutterbuck as the seconds ticked down. Two periods, two Clutterbuck breakaways. Apparently, this is a sound practice, as Clutterbuck didn’t threaten on either opportunity.

Head coach Paul MacLean, who was an assistant to Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock for six years in Detroit with the Red Wings, has been pushing defensive play over the past several weeks, even it hasn’t always looked that way in games.

When it comes to team defence, have the Senators finally found religion?

Well, they did have that game against the listless Carolina Hurricanes Monday, playing them tight for 65 minutes in a 1-1 game before winning the shootout.

MacLean hoped it was the sign of a trend.

“For me it’s a product of the work we’ve put in in practice, definitely since before the Olympic break ended,” MacLean said. “There’s been a lot more focus on the defensive zone in our game and . . . those practice blocks we had, seem to have fallen into place for us.”

That philosophy might not have been apparent, when the Senators were giving up 49 shots to the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, but consider this statistic:

In the five games preceding the Islanders game, (a 4-0-1 stretch) the Senators have given up two third-period goals.

In the previous five games, all losses, the Senators surrendered 13 goals in the third period.

Against the Islanders, the Senators began the third period not in the mode of protecting a lead, but trying to salvage their season, down 1-0 to an Islanders team with 10 pesky kids on the roster looking for NHL work next season.

The home side pressed early, pumping four quick shots on Isles goaltender Anders Nilsson, who had to know he’d be sniffing some rubber before this one was done.

Finally, on a power play, Milan Michalek broke through, chipping in a loose puck of a wild scramble in front of Nilsson, who couldn’t control the puck.

Notably, Erik Karlsson was not on that power play. Chris Neil was, and Mika Zibanejad, Michalek, Patrick Wiercioch and Ales Hemsky. Not all the usual suspects. Karlsson sat for long stretches of the third period.

Coach sending a message?

“I’m just coaching the team,” MacLean said, “just trying to get the guys out there that were playing and doing the things that we needed.”

The 1-1 tie lasted all of two minutes and 50 seconds before Casey Cizikas returned the Islanders lead on their power play. Cizikas? Didn’t have him in the pool.

In the end, a furious late push with an extra attacker, amounted to naught.

Almost Done!

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